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From the FasterSkier archive — posts syndicated from athletes’ and coaches’ own blogs between 2004 and 2012, kept online as published. Current coverage is at fasterskier.com.

Tag: Joanne Reid

  • Biathlon World Championships: Dream Day for Germany, Lunder 11th

    Biathlon World Championships: Dream Day for Germany, Lunder 11th

    Denise Herrmann-Wick (GER) shooting from the standing position at the IBU World Championships Sprint in Oberhof, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Biathlon fans anticipated that the women’s 7.5km Sprint would be one of the most tightly-contested races of the BMW IBU World Championships, and it did not disappoint. In the end, only 2.2 seconds separated the new World Champion, Denise Herrmann-Wick of Germany, from the silver medalist, Hanna Oeberg of Sweden. Oeberg’s teammate, Linn Persson, finished third. These athletes will start at the front of Sunday’s 60-person Pursuit and try to stave off the chasers for another chance at a World Championship medal.

    Hanna Oeberg (SWE) leaving the range in the lead of the IBU World Championships Sprint in Oberhof, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Fourteen women from seven nations have landed on the podium this winter. But among all those contenders, arguably no one had more pressure on them today than hometown favorite, Denise Herrmann-Wick. Ranked first in the World Cup Sprint standings, the 34-year-old revealed in Wednesday’s Mixed Relay that she has peaked perfectly for these races. Even with nine out ten hits, Herrmann-Wick is skiing fast enough that she could have a chance at a podium finish, but today she left nothing chance. Unfazed by tens of thousands of spectators cheering in unison after each shot, Herrmann-Wick steadily cleared ten out of ten targets. One word came to mind: impressive.

    But the race wasn’t over. A few minutes later, Hanna Oeberg of Sweden managed the same perfect shooting, leaving the range for the final 2.5km loop with a nine second advantage over Herrmann-Wick. A hush of collective anxiety came over the full stadium of German fans. By the top of Oberhof’s signature Birxsteig climb, Oeberg’s advantage had dwindled to a near tie. It wasn’t until the final meters of the race, when Oeberg’s time ticked above Herrmann-Wick’s winning mark of 21:19.7, that the Thuringen Arena burst into cheers.

    Denise Herrmann-Wick (GER) celebrates after winning the IBU World Championships Sprint in Oberhof, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    The battle for gold was not limited to those two athletes. Wearing bib number two, Anamarija Lampic of Slovenia cleaned her prone targets, leaving the audience wondering if today might be the day for the former cross-country skier to break onto her first podium. But that kind of biathlon magic wasn’t to be; Lampic’s inexperience came through when she missed four targets in standing. With the 17th-ranked course time, she narrowly managed to qualify for Sunday’s Pursuit in 58th. It was Lampic’s teammate, Polona Klemencic, who stepped up and shined for Slovenia with the perfect shooting score to take her first career top-10 in 8th place.

    Ingrid Tandrevold of Norway led the race after Shooting 1, showing once again that her ski speed and prone shooting skills are there. But the standing shooting slump which has been bothering her since January persisted and she missed two on her way to a 14th place finish. Lisa Vittozzi of Italy missed just one in standing but skied fast enough to briefly take the lead from Marketa Davidova of Czech Republic, who had hit 100% as she so often does in championship races.

    The defending Olympic Champion in the Sprint, Marte Olsbu Roeiseland, was sitting way back in 26th after missing one in prone, but with a clean standing bout and the second-ranked course time, she pulled her way back to fourth, just five seconds shy of the bronze medal. She’ll be motivated for more in the Pursuit. The World Cup Overall leader, Julia Simon, was well on her way to a podium finish with eight hits before she missed the last two. Simon thrives in head-to-head races and will be a threat in the Pursuit even starting 1:02 back in 10th place.

    Emma Lunder (CAN) following Marte Olsbu Roiseland (NOR) in the IBU World Championships Sprint in Oberhof, Germany, where they finished 11th and 4th, respectively. (Photo: NordicFocus).

    Less than one second behind Simon, Emma Lunder of Canada posted her best-ever Championship result in 11th. After a season-best ski performance on Wednesday in the Mixed Relay, Lunder knew anything was possible in today’s Sprint. “I was a bag of nerves,” she said. “I was more nervous for this than the Olympics, because I knew I had a chance.” Once she started, her good preparation kicked in and with a clear mind she executed to near perfection, with just one prone miss and a top-15 course time. Lunder attributes her excellent shape to staying healthy. She hasn’t been sick since last year’s Olympics, so she has been able to train continuously and make steady gains. She also credited her ski technicians for fast skis. In Sunday’s Pursuit, only 1:03 will separate Emma from Herrmann-Wick. To the podium, it’s just 37 seconds.

    Nadia Moser (CAN) on her way to 48th in the IBU World Championships Sprint in Oberhof, Germany. Photo: (NordicFocus)

    Two other North Americans qualified for the Pursuit. Nadia Moser (CAN) finished 48th with one penalty, and Deedra Irwin (USA) finished 55th with two. “I’ve barely trained for the last two weeks,” said Irwin after the race, referencing a sickness she came down with in January which required a round of antibiotics. “And this course is so hard. The headwind on that straightaway was brutal.” Some athletes were luckier than others, finding themselves in position to draft for the 500m windy straightaway approach to the range. Lunder put in a hard sprint to catch someone there. Chloe Levins, the second American today in 73rd, was alone every time on that section, but she performed well on the range, hitting nine of ten.

    Joanne Reid (USA) shot clean in prone but suffered three penalties in standing to finish 75th. Competing in her first biathlon World Championships race, former Nordic Combined athlete Tara Geraghty-Moats (USA) similarly cleaned prone but struggled in standing, missing four to finish 86th. Canada’s Benita Peiffer rounded out their squad, missing five to finish 93rd.


    Chloe Levins (USA) hit nine out of ten to finish 73rd in the IBU World Championships Sprint in Oberhof, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    The women will be back in action on Sunday, but first it’s the men’s sprint, Saturday at 8:30AM Eastern Time.

    IBU World Championships Women’s Sprint RESULTS

    Coming Up Next:

    SATURDAY:
    Men’s Sprint at 8:30AM Eastern Time.

    SUNDAY:
    Women’s Pursuit at 7:25AM Eastern Time.
    Men’s Pursuit at 9:30AM Eastern Time.

    FREE LIVESTREAM HERE

    IBU World Championships women’s Sprint podium: Denise Herrmann-Wick (GER) in first, Hanna Oeberg SWE) in second at left, and Linn Persson (SWE) in third. Oberhof, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)
  • Biathlon World Championship Viewer’s Guide: Who, What, When, Where, How and Why to Watch

    Biathlon World Championship Viewer’s Guide: Who, What, When, Where, How and Why to Watch

    Biathletes racing in Oberhof, Germany in January of 2019. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    The 2023 BMW IBU Biathlon World Championships kick off on Wednesday, February 8th in Oberhof, Germany. Let’s start with reasons why to watch:

    Why Watch?

    Watch because it’s free and easy. This winter, all biathlon World Championship, World Cup, Junior World Championship, and even IBU Cup (World Cup feeder circuit) races and are free to stream live with English commentary on Eurovision’s website.

    Watch because on the men’s side, Johannes Thignes Boe’s domination so far this winter has sparked talk of “G.O.A.T.” status. That is saying something, given that the 29-year-old Norwegian has “only” three World Cup Overall titles and 66 individual victories to his name. Boe’s compatriot, the original “King of Biathlon” Ole Einar Bjorndalen, won 95 races, and more recently, French star Martin Fourcade won 85 races and seven consecutive Overall titles. But winning 11 out of 14 individual competitions already this season, Boe is catching up at an extraordinary rate. Outpacing his competitors by ridiculous margins and hitting 90% of his targets on average, there’s no doubt Boe will put on a show to remember in Oberhof.

    On the women’s side, watch because—in contrast to the Boe Show—we’ve seen eight different winners from five countries so far this season: none yet from Norway. It’s truly anyone’s game. The depth of competition on the women’s side all but guarantees the kind of high-drama shooting and down-to-the-wire finishes that we all love.

    Watch to support Nordic skiers getting paid. World Championships have the biggest viewership draw and consequently the biggest prize money purse of the biathlon season, with each event winner taking home 25,000 Euros. The payout reaches all the way down to 30th place, and women and men are paid equally.

    Watch because—for the first time since 2020—spectators will be allowed to attend the season’s highlight event. Oberhof’s Thuringen Arena is expected to draw over 160,000 die-hard biathlon fans from one of the sport’s core regions. Watch because if you can’t be there in person, the live stream is next best!

    Biathlon World Cup Women’s Pursuit in Oberhof , Germany in January 2021. (Photo: NordicFocus)
    How to Watch?

    Stream online, free with English commentary, live or replay at: www.eurovisionsports.tv/ibu

    When to Watch?

    February 8-19. See competition schedule below in Eastern Time. Full season schedule and results available at: www.biathlonresults.com

    What to Watch?

    For those new to biathlon, check out any of the relays, the Pursuit, or the Mass Start. Those races are easiest to follow because they are head-to-head.

    To see North Americans in the front of the pack, watch the Single-Mixed Relay. One woman and one man each do two short biathlon races, tagging off in between. The Canadian couple of Emma Lunder and Christian Gow have a World Cup best of fourth in the event and Americans Deedra Irwin and Paul Schommer finished sixth just a few weeks ago. No matter how they do, this speed shooting and sprint skiing frenzy is entirely enjoyable to watch.

    Watch for those same four athletes in the 15/20km Individual as well. They each have scored at least one top-10 result in biathlon’s longest event format, known for its brutal one-minute time penalty per miss. If any of them can hit 18 targets or more out of 20, expect to see them on the live stream and—if they’re lucky—on the podium.

    Emma Lunder and Christian Gow (CAN) at the IBU World Cup Biathlon in Kontiolahti, Finland in December 2022. (Photo: NordicFocus)
    Who to Watch?

    International Women:

    Julia Simon (FRA): currently leads the World Cup Overall and Mass Start standings. Watch for her to blaze through five targets in 19 seconds and then throw down a heroic last lap for a come-from-behind win. Not to be overlooked: her three teammates who have also landed on the podium this winter.

    Elvira Oeberg (SWE): Second in the Overall and first in the U25 and Pursuit standings, it’s easy to forget she’s only 23 years old. Like France, Sweden has also put four women on the podium this winter. Watch for those two nations to battle it out in the Women’s Relay.

    Lisa Vittozzi (ITA): Following a season in which she inexplicably alternated between hitting all five or missing all five in any given prone stage, Vittozzi is back to her best form on the range and on skis. She currently leads the 15km Individual standings.

    Dorothea Wierer (ITA): Quietly ranked fourth in the Overall behind the above three, she took her first win of the season just a few weeks ago and is a perennial favorite at championships.

    Denise Herrmann-Wick (GER): Sprint standings leader and Olympic medalist in both biathlon and cross-country skiing, the 34-year-old is currently ranked fifth in the Overall and is Germany’s best chance for an at-home win.

    Marte Olsbu Roiselend (NOR): Last year’s World Cup Overall winner returned to competition in January following an autumn illness and went straight into the flower ceremony with a 4th and 5th. She won five Olympic medals in Beijing last winter and seven at World’s in 2020. Bet on her.

    Wildcard— Anamarija Lampic (SLO): For cross-country ski fans looking for a dark horse podium contender, the former FIS Sprint Globe winner will make her Biathlon World Championships debut. In her three World Cup outings so far she has placed 5th, 5th and 69th.

    Julia Simon (FRA) racing the IBU World Cup Biathlon Relay in Antholz, Italy in January 2023. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    North American Women:

    Emma Lunder (CAN): Ranked 26th in the Overall standings, Lunder came oh-so-close to landing her first podium when she set new personal bests of 4th and 5th in December. In the two Mass Start races this season she placed 9th and 11th, so let’s hope she can qualify for the premier 30-woman event in Oberhof.

    Nadia Moser (CAN): After tragically breaking her leg just before the Olympics last year, Moser fought back and is now having a career-best season, notching three top-30’s including a new personal best of 23rd.

    Deedra Irwin (USA): Returning from a breakout season in which she smashed into the top-ten for the first time at the Olympics and qualified for her first Mass start, Irwin may be on track for a similarly well-timed peak. In January her ski times sharpened and she scored her first top-25 of the winter.

    Joanne Reid (USA): After finishing 26th in a Sprint in December, Reid struggled with illness in January but don’t count her out. Her top three career results are all from championship events, including 10th and 15th at the 2019 World’s. Chances are good she’ll shine in the women’s and mixed relays.

    Johannes Thingnes Boe (NOR) racing the IBU World Cup Biathlon Mass Start in Ruhpolding, Germany in January 2023. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    International Men:

    Team Norway: Five of them (J. Boe, S. Laegreid, V. Christiansen, J. Dale, T. Boe) are ranked in the top eight of the World Cup Overall standings. We’ll see all of them compete in Oberhof thanks to a new rule which extends the normal limit of four athletes per nation to five as long as they are ranked in the top 15. In particular:

    Johannes Thignes Boe (NOR): won 11 of 14 individual races this season. Currently leads the Overall standings and all of the event standings. More than once this winter, he has outskied the next-fastest competitor by over forty seconds— in a 10k! Come for the biathlon, stay for the exceptional cross-country skiing.

    Sturla Holm Laegreid (NOR): If it weren’t for Boe’s total domination we’d be talking about Laegreid. He’s finished 2nd in the Overall standings for the last two years and has been on the podium in all but three races this season. His worst (!) finish so far this winter is 6th. In contrast to Boe, Laegreid’s superpower is his shooting. The 25-year-old is currently running a 98% hit rate in prone.

    Martin Ponsiluoma (SWE): the only non-Norwegian to win a race this winter. In January he was consistently the second-fastest skier behind J. Boe and therefore one of the few people with any chance of beating him. Ponsiluoma’s weakness is shooting accuracy but Oberhof’s windy range could level the playing field to his advantage.

    Quentin Fillon Maillet (FRA): Last winter’s World Cup Overall winner, currently ranked 4th, never gives up.

    Niklas Hartweg (SUI): At just 22 years old, the U25 leader is having a breakout season which started with a silver medal in the 20km Individual in November. Winner of the 2019-20 Junior Cup, Hartweg is on a near vertical trajectory at the senior level, ascending from 74th in the World Cup Overall standings last year to 12th currently.

    Wildcard— Simon Eder (AUT): the 39-year-old proved he’s still in great form when he earned his 99th and 100th career individual top-ten results in January. He recently ended a prone hit streak of over 110 shots which he had started last March.

    Paul Schommer (USA) and Adam Runnalls (CAN), (l-r) racing the IBU World Cup Biathlon Pursuit in Annecy-Le Grand Bornand in December 2022. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    North American Men:

    Sean Doherty (USA): Coming off a banner summer season in which he took 2nd at the Martin Fourcade Nordic Festival and 6th at Summer Biathlon World Championships, Doherty landed his best result since the 18-19 season in December with a new Sprint best of 11th.

    Christian Gow (CAN): a lighting fast and reliable shooter coming into form with two top-25 results in January.

    Adam Runnalls (CAN): 24-year-old having a breakout season with two top-20s so far including a new personal-best of 13th in the Sprint in January.

    Paul Schommer (USA): has finished in the points (top-40) in all but two races this season, showing high-level consistency, especially on the range where his 87% hit rate ranks among the best.

    Jake Brown (USA): 12th in the Sprint at 2021 World’s proves he can make it happen when it counts. Watch for Jake to put up a sneaky excellent Men’s Relay leg.

    Keep following fasterskier.com for on-site coverage from Oberhof.

    You can find the full US Biathlon World Championships team roster here.

    You can find the full Biathlon Canada World Championships team roster here.

  • (Press Release) Egan and Dunklee Conclude Olympic Careers with 11th Place Relay

    (Press Release) Egan and Dunklee Conclude Olympic Careers with 11th Place Relay

    Susan Dunklee (USA) – (Photo: NordicFocus)

    In the final Olympic race of their careers, Susan Dunklee (Craftsbury, Vt./Craftsbury Green Racing Project & USBA) and Clare Egan (Cape Elizabeth, Maine/Craftsbury Green Racing Project & USBA) helped guide the U.S. women to an 11th-place finish in Wednesday’s 4×6-kilometer relay at the Beijing 2022 Winter Games.

    Three-time Olympian Dunklee was first out of the shooting range after prone, having cleaned all five targets. She also cleaned from the standing position but admittedly was sluggish on the skis and made the first exchange with Egan in 18th position.

    “It was a beautiful day to be out here skiing and I was really excited for it,” said Dunklee. “I had a lot of fun in the first loop and put myself in it like I usually do. I got near the front and tried to play my normal game and shoot fast in prone. I got out first which was really satisfying for the first 100 meters. I did well in standing but the last loop my body just shut down. Today was one of those days. No matter how hard I was trying to force myself to go my body just wouldn’t go.”

    Clare Egan (USA) -(Photo: NordicFocus)

    Egan, competing in her second Olympic Games, brought the U.S. team up to 15th place at the midway point despite using five spare rounds and incurring a penalty in standing. She tagged off to first-time Olympian Deedra Irwin (Pulaski, Wis./ National Guard Biathlon & USBA) who cleaned from prone and had a penalty and three spares in standing. Irwin made the final exchange to two-time Olympian Joanne Reid (Grand Junction, Colo.) in 13th position.

    Deedra Irwin (USA) – (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Reid turned in a fantastic final leg as she also cleaned prone and used just one spare in standing to move into 11th place at the finish, 4 minutes, 47.4 seconds back of the winning time.

    After the race, Irwin spoke about the impact Dunklee and Egan have had on the sport.

    “It was really awesome to see Susan clean the race and that was a good motivator,” Irwin said. “They’re just so inspirational…they’re trailblazers in U.S. Biathlon. I just hope to live up to the legacy they’ve created for this program. They’re definitely going to be missed in the future.”

    Irwin now looks forward to Saturday’s mass start where she will toe the line with 29 other women in the 12.5km race, the final biathlon competition of the Beijing Games.

    “I’m feeling a little better after how I skied today,” added Irwin. “I definitely was a little nervous after not feeling so hot in the sprint and pursuit with my legs, but today skiing felt really awesome and half of my shooting race went pretty well. I’m pretty excited to go into my first mass start ever. It’s going to be memorable to have it here and have my entire team out cheering me on.”

    Joanne Reid (USA) -(Photo: NordicFocus)

    The Swedish quartet of Elvira and Hanna Oeberg, Mona Brorsson and Linn Persson used just six spare rounds to win the gold medal in 1:11:03.9. The silver medal went to the Russian Olympic Committee with one penalty and seven spares, 12 seconds back. Germany captured the bronze medal with six spare rounds, 37.4 seconds behind Sweden.

    Women’s 4x6km relay results

    1. Sweden (Persson, Brorsson, H. Oeberg, E. Oeberg) 1:11:03.9/0+6
    2. ROC (Kazakevich, Reztsova, Mironova, Nigmatullina) +12.0/1+7
    3. Germany (Voigt, Hinz, Preuss, Herrmann) +37.4/0+6
    11. USA (Dunklee, Egan, Irwin, Reid) +4:47.4/2+9

     

    Check out the Watch Olympic Biathlon schedule for viewing options of all the races from Beijing. You can also follow all the action on the IBU app – download it today!

    https://apps.apple.com/app/official-ibu-app/id1581415457?l=en

    https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=at.ibu.app

    Biathlon Event Schedule for Beijing 2022 Olympic Games (all times EST)

    Saturday, Feb. 5 (RECAP)
    4:00 am – Mixed relay

    Monday, Feb. 7 (RECAP)
    4:00 am – Women’s 15km individual

    Tuesday, Feb. 8 (RECAP)
    3:30 am – Men’s 20km individual

    Friday, Feb. 11 (RECAP)
    4:00 am – Women’s 7.5km sprint

    Saturday, Feb. 12 (RECAP)
    4:00 am – Men’s 10km sprint

    Sunday, Feb. 13 (RECAP)
    4:00 am – Women’s 10km pursuit
    5:45 am – Men’s 12.5km pursuit

    Tuesday, Feb. 15 (RECAP)
    4:00 am – Men’s 4×7.5km relay

    Wednesday, Feb. 16
    2:45 am – Women’s 4x6km relay

    Friday, Feb. 18
    4:00 am – Men’s 15km mass start (No US starters)

    Saturday, Feb. 19
    4:00 am – Women’s 12.5km mass start

  • (Press Release) In Race of Her Life, Deedra Irwin Posts Top Finish Ever by an American Biathlete

    (Press Release) In Race of Her Life, Deedra Irwin Posts Top Finish Ever by an American Biathlete

    Deedra Irwin competes in the Women’s 15km Individual race during the 2022 Beijing Olympic Games. (Photo: Nordic Focus)

    BEIJING, China (Feb. 5, 2022) – Things don’t always go according to plan, but occasionally someone can exceed even her wildest expectations.

    Such was the case for Deedra Irwin of Pulaski, Wisconsin, who on Monday turned in the best Olympic performance ever by an American biathlete, finishing seventh in the women’s 15-kilometer individual event at the Zhangjiakou National Biathlon Centre northwest of Beijing.

    “I was trying to focus on just working on everything I’ve worked on this week,” said Irwin, who is competing in her first Olympic Winter Games, “really skiing the course well and staying calm on the range and being ready for anything — with wind or whatever.

    “I had a good game plan, and I was able to execute it. Everything came together. I had no idea how I was doing, and I was just in my zone, and it worked — what the heck.”

    Deedra Irwin competes in the Women’s 15km Individual race during the 2022 Beijing Olympic Games. (Photo: Nordic Focus)

    What the heck, indeed. Irwin skied and shot with the world’s best biathletes, ultimately finishing just 1 minute, 1.4 seconds behind gold medalist Denise Herrmann of Germany. Anais Chevalier-Bouchet of France claimed the silver medal, and Norway’s Marte Olsbu Roeiseland took the bronze medal.

    Irwin’s American teammates, Clare Egan, Joanne Reid and Susan Dunklee, placed 39th, 57th and 63rd, respectively.

    Irwin’s stunning performance also came two days after the U.S. biathlon team of Dunklee, Egan, Sean Doherty and Paul Schommer posted the best-ever American finish in the 4×6-kilometer mixed relay event. The U.S. placed seventh in 1:08:58.3.

    Nothing Monday seemed to faze Irwin, who moved up to fifth place at the 9-kilometer mark. Not even a miss during the event’s final shooting range.

    “It’s something I’ve been working on all week because of the wind, just really trying to focus on one shot at a time,” Irwin said. “What was really nice is it wasn’t windy today. It was actually really calm.

    “So even though I missed that shot, I still had that mentality of just one shot at a time, make good shots.”

    Deedra Irwin (right) competes in the Women’s 15km Individual race during the 2022 Beijing Olympic Games. (Photo: Nordic Focus)

    That enabled Irwin to finish strong.

    “To be able to hit those last two, I was just really happy that I was able to keep the focus and concentrate,” Irwin said. “(It’s) something I’ve definitely been working on a lot since last year, to just in general increase my shooting percentage.”

    The 29-year-old Irwin, a member of the Vermont Army National Guard, had a skiing and running background but didn’t try biathlon until 2017, when she attended a talent identification camp at Lake Placid, New York.

    *****

    Check out the Watch Olympic Biathlon schedule for viewing options of all the races from Beijing. You can also follow all the action on the IBU app – download it today!

    https://apps.apple.com/app/official-ibu-app/id1581415457?l=en

    https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=at.ibu.app

     

    Bob Reinert

    Bob Reinert spent 17 years writing sports for The Boston Globe. He also served as a sports information director at Saint Anselm College and Phillips Exeter Academy. He is a contributor to TeamUSA.org on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.

  • (Press release) U.S. Women’s Relay Heads into Beijing with Best Finish in 28 Years

    (Press release) U.S. Women’s Relay Heads into Beijing with Best Finish in 28 Years

    Joanne Reid (USA) celebrates historic relay result in Antholz (ITA). (Photo: NordicFocus)

    In the final women’s relay competition before the Beijing 2022 Olympic Games, the 14th ranked U.S. Women’s Biathlon Team raced to a fifth-place finish in Saturday’s 4×6-kilometer event at the BMW IBU World Cup in Antholz. It marked the best relay finish for the women’s team in a World Cup since 1994 when the U.S. took the silver medal in Canmore, Alberta, Canada. However, today’s performance bettered that race 28 years ago in terms of time behind as they finished 50.1 seconds back of first place today compared to 57.3 seconds behind in 1994.

    “I’ve dreamed of a top-5 women’s relay for over a decade,” three-time Olympian Susan Dunklee (Craftsbury, Vt./Craftsbury Green Racing Project & USBA) said after the race.

    Susan Dunklee (USA) keeps the United States in it during the first leg of the relay in Antholz (ITA). (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Dunklee kicked off the relay using one spare round in prone and two spares in standing. She made the first exchange with 2018 Olympian Clare Egan (Cape Elizabeth, Maine/Craftsbury Green Racing Project & USBA) with the U.S. team in 12th place, 41.6 seconds back of the leader.

    Clare Egan (USA) holds strong during the second leg of the relay in Antholz (ITA). (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Egan, heading into her second Olympic Games, brought the American squad up to 10th place after needing three spares in prone and two in standing on her second leg.

    “It’s great to improve on our sixth-place from last winter as we head into the Olympics,” said Egan, referring to last season’s World Cup relay performance in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic.

    Deedra Irwin (USA) keeps the US team within striking distance during the third leg of the relay in Antholz (ITA). (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Deedra Irwin (Pulaski, Wis./National Guard Biathlon & USBA), the lone rookie on this year’s Olympic team, went clean in prone and used three spare rounds in standing to vault the team into medal contention at the final exchange. Irwin tagged off the anchor leg to Joanne Reid (Grand Junction, Colo.) in seventh place, a mere 27.6 seconds out of first.

    Joanne Reid (USA) anchors the US to 5th place in Antholz (ITA). (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Reid, a 2018 Olympian, was solid on the range needing just one spare in prone and another in standing. She brought the team home in fifth place, 50.1 seconds back of gold-medal winning Norway. Russia took second and France edged Italy for third in a photo finish.

    “I think it’s really encouraging that we were within 20 seconds of Italy and France – two of the top teams – with the same shooting,” added Egan.

    Joanne Reid and Deedra Irwin (USA), (l-r) celebrate at the finish in Antholz (ITA). (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Earlier in the day, Paul Schommer (Appleton, Wis./Team Crosscut & USBA) finished 22nd in the men’s 15km mass start, the first mass start of his career.

    The World Cup in Antholz wraps up Sunday with the men’s 4×7.5km relay followed by Egan competing in the women’s 12.5km mass start on the heels of her fourth-place finish in Friday’s 15km individual.

    Catch the action live on Peacock with Chad Salmela and USBA President & CEO Max Cobb commentating live from Antholz. Download the IBU App to keep track of all your favorite athletes!
    BMW IBU World Cup – Antholz, Italy (all times Eastern)

    Sunday, Jan. 23

    6:15 am – Men’s 4×7.5km relay
    9:15 am – Women’s 12.5km mass start

    https://www.teamusa.org/US-Biathlon/Events/2022/January/19/Watch-IBU-Biathlon

    https://apps.apple.com/app/official-ibu-app/id1581415457?l=en
    https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=at.ibu.app

    Women’s 4x6km relay results
    1. Norway (1:12:54.1/1+10)
    2. Russia (+24.6/3+12)
    3. France (+32.6/0+13)
    4. Italy (+32.6/0+13)
    5. USA (+50.1/0+13)

    Men’s 15km mass start results
    1. Benedikt Doll (GER) 37:14.9/+1
    2. Johannes Thingnes Boe (NOR) +31.3/+3
    3. Sturla Holm Lagreid (NOR) +1:28.8/+3
    22. Paul Schommer (USA) +3:36.5/+6

  • (Press Release) US Biathlon Names Rosters for Early-Season Camp and Races

    (Press Release) US Biathlon Names Rosters for Early-Season Camp and Races

    This press release, written by Bill Kellick, was originally posted at TeamUSA.org.

    Oct. 27, 2021, 8:47 a.m. (ET)

    (NEW GLOUCESTER, MAINE) – US Biathlon has announced the roster for the Pre-World Cup On-Snow Camp in Obertilliah, Austria, as well as the roster for the first two IBU Cup competitions of the 2021-22 season.

    The Pre-World Cup Camp will begin November 11 with athletes joining National Team Coaches Armin Auchentaller and Vegard Bitnes for on-snow training ahead of the first BMW IBU World Cup races in Oestersund, Sweden, beginning November 27.

    The women’s roster is led by 2022 Olympic Team qualifiers Susan Dunklee (Craftsbury, Vt./Craftsbury Green Racing Project & USBA), Clare Egan (Cape Elizabeth, Maine/USBA), 2018 Olympian Joanne Reid (Grand Junction, Colo.), Deedra Irwin (Pulaski, Wis./National Guard Biathlon Team & USBA) and Kelsey Dickinson (Winthrop, Wash./Craftsbury Green Racing Project).

    Susan Dunklee racing to 8th in Nové Město’s sprint. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    The men’s roster includes two-time Olympians Leif Nordgren (Hinesburg, Vt./National Guard Biathlon & USBA) and Sean Doherty (Center Conway, N.H./National Guard Biathlon & USBA). They will be joined by Paul Schommer (Appleton, Wis./Team Crosscut & USBA), Jake Brown (Saint Paul, Minn./Craftsbury Green Racing Project & USBA) and Vasek Cervenka (Grand Rapids, Minn./National Guard Biathlon & USBA). Brown is pre-qualified for the World Cup team.

    The final roster for the first two BMW IBU World Cups of the season will be announced at the end of the camp.

    Named to the Team USA roster to compete at the IBU Cup events in Idre, Sweden (Nov. 25-28) and Sjusjoen, Norway (Dec. 1-4) are Chloe Levins (Rutland, Vt./USBA), Hallie Grossman (South Burlington, Vt./Craftsbury Green Racing Project) and Lina Farra (Heber City, Utah/National Guard Biathlon Team) on the women’s team, and Max Durtschi (Ketchum, Idaho/Team Crosscut & USBA), Vincent Bonacci (Salt Lake City, Utah/Team Crosscut & USBA) and Luke Brown (Saint Paul, Minn./Team Craftsbury Green Racing Project).

    Leif Nordgren during the IBU World Cup 4 x 7.5 k relay in Ӧstersund, Sweden in December, 2019. (Photo: NordicFocus)
  • U.S. Women’s Biathlon Races to Best Relay Finish Since 1994 (USBA Press Release)

    U.S. Women’s Biathlon Races to Best Relay Finish Since 1994 (USBA Press Release)

    NOVE MESTO, Czech Republic (March 4, 2021) – In the final women’s 4×6-kilometer relay of the BMW IBU World Cup season, Team USA turned in a performance for the ages. The team’s sixth-place finish in the field of 21 teams on Thursday was the best since 1994 and just 40.1 seconds off the winning time turned in by Sweden. The U.S. quartet’s time was also a mere 12.3 seconds from the bronze medal. By comparison, the United States’ 1994 silver-medal performance at a World Cup was over 57 seconds back of the winning time.

    Susan Dunklee (USA), Irene Cadurisch (SUI), Federica Sanfilippo (ITA), Kinga Zbylut (POL), (l-r) – IBU World Cup Biathlon, relay women, Nove Mesto (CZE). (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Susan Dunklee (Barton, Vt.) opened the race with fast and clean prone shooting, needing just 22.6 seconds and leaving the range in the lead, 1.8 seconds ahead of Switzerland’s Irene Cadurisch. Dunklee held the lead into the standing shoot but fell back fifth place after needing two spare rounds. She tagged off to Joanne Reid (Grand Junction, Colo.) in sixth position, just 11.5 seconds from first place.

    Joanne Reid (USA) – IBU World Cup Biathlon, relay women, Nove Mesto (CZE). (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Reid needed just one spare round in prone and another in standing and matched Sweden’s Hanna Oeberg stride-for-stride over the final lap to keep the American squad in sixth position as she tagged off to Clare Egan (Cape Elizabeth, Maine), 41.7 seconds back of the lead.

    “Just wanted to go out there and have one last good relay, hold onto the momentum Susan gave me, and gift it forward to Clare and Deeda,” said Reid. “Recently, relays have gone from making me extra nervous to making me less nervous, since I know my team has my back and they’re giving me an opportunity, not a burden of stress. Happy to hang onto the back of Hanna Oeberg’s skis the last lap.”

    Hanna Sola (BLR), Clare Egan (USA), (l-r) – IBU World Cup Biathlon, relay women, Nove Mesto (CZE). (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Egan proceeded to move the team into medal contention with a clean round from prone, exiting the range in second place, just 31.9 seconds back of leader Norway. She kept the medal hopes alive with just one spare in standing and skied the U.S. team into second place at the final exchange with Deedra Irwin (Pulaski, Wis.), 6.6 seconds back of leader Sweden and just seconds ahead of both Italy and Belarus.

    “Today’s race was great from start to finish, which is what it takes for a World Cup relay top-6,” Egan said. “There are so many pieces…four fit and focused athletes, eight perfectly prepped skis, 24 kilometers of fast skiing, 40 shots which need to be fast and almost all hits, plus many coaches and support staff working behind the scenes. It was really satisfying to put together a total team effort today.”

    Irwin, competing in her first full World Cup season, was spectacular in the final leg. She used just one spare in prone and another in standing, then raced to a photo finish at the line with Norway and Italy. Noway’s Marte Olsbu Roeiseland was credited with fifth place, while Irwin nipped Italy’s Michela Carrara for sixth.

    “I just wanted to make the team proud,” said Irwin who collapsed to the snow at the finish after giving it everything she had. “I’ve believed for years that this team could get a top-6 and I wanted to be a part of that. The team gave me an amazing handoff and I just tried to do my best with it. I’m glad everything came together today. It was really a ‘trust the process’ and ‘don’t do anything special’ kind of day for me. Being so new to this sport, the pressure sometimes gets to me on the World Cup and I’ve learned so much this season from my teammates and coaches. I’m grateful for their patience and I’m happy we were able to make this last one really count.”

    Deedra Irwin (USA), (l-r) – IBU World Cup Biathlon, relay women, Nove Mesto (CZE). (Photo: NordicFocus)

    The Swedish team of Mona Brorsson, Hanna Oeberg, Linn Persson and Elvira Oeberg claimed the gold medal with a winning time of 1 hour, 3 minutes, 26.6 seconds, using six spare rounds. Belarus, with nine spares, finished second, 1.2 seconds back. France, with a penalty and eight spares, placed third, 27.8 seconds back.

    The BMW IBU World Cup in Nove Mesto continues Friday with the men’s 4×7.5-kilometer relay featuring the U.S. team of Sean Doherty (Center Conway, N.H.), Jake Brown (Saint Paul, Minn.), Paul Schommer (Appleton, Wis.) ad Leif Nordgren (Hinesburg, Vt.). The race can be seen live on Peacock TV starting at 9:20 a.m. EST.

    Women’s 4x6km Relay Top-6:

    1. Sweden 1:03:26.6/0+6
    2. Belarus +1.2/0+9
    3. France +27.8/1+8
    4. Ukraine +28.7/1+10
    5. Norway +40.0/1+10
    6. USA +40.1/0+7
  • U.S. Biathlon Team Heads to Italy for Final World Cup Before World Championships

    U.S. Biathlon Team Heads to Italy for Final World Cup Before World Championships

    Clare Egan during training in Antholz, Italy. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Press Release from US Biathlon: By Bill Kellick

    After back-to-back IBU World Cup events in Oberhof, Germany, the U.S. Biathlon team and the rest of the world’s best biathletes are headed for Antholz, Italy, for the final World Cup races before the IBU Biathlon World Championships. This week’s BMW IBU World Cup event, running Jan. 21-24, will consist of individual races, mass starts and relays.

    Antholz played host to last year’s world championships and the U.S. team enjoyed a banner competition with Susan Dunklee winning a silver medal in the women’s sprint, adding to her silver medal in the mass start three years earlier. Other Team USA highlights from last year’s world championships in Antholz were an eighth-place finish in the men’s relay, and a career-best eighth place on 20-for-20 shooting by Leif Nordgren in the men’s 20km individual.

    “Oberhof took a lot out of the athletes these past two weeks,” said U.S. Biathlon Women’s National Team Coach Armin Auchentaller. “These first days in Antholz we have been taking it pretty easy to recover from the past two weeks. We hope for some good races here in Antholz which historically fits us pretty well.”

    If anyone should know Antholz, it’s Auchentaller, who resides in the northern Italian town. And through him, the U.S. Biathlon team has come to know the trails of Antholz well through off-season training sessions there.

    “It feels like my home course more than anywhere else and I’m looking forward to using that experience to my advantage,” says Clare Egan who trained in Antholz the entire month of September as well as 10 days over the recent holiday break.

    “The team has spent a lot of time there over the years because of the fact that Armin lives there,” added U.S. Biathlon Director of High Performance Lowell Bailey. “We’re looking forward to this virtual home-course advantage. Antholz is a great place, a great course, and it is sure to produce some exciting racing.”

    Coming off two weeks of racing on the difficult tracks of Oberhof, which had been altered to host the world championships in two years, U.S. team members are looking forward not only to racing in the familiar confines of Antholz this weekend, but also to the sunshine that usually accompanies competition in the Antholz valley.

    “Oberhof suits my climbing prowess but Antholz suits my altitude soul,” noted Joanne Reid. “I had a really great time racing in Oberhof, and I’m also looking forward to racing here.”

    “I’m looking forward to sunshine,” said Jake Brown. “Through Armin I think we all feel some sort of special connection to this valley.”

    Added Paul Schommer: “I really like the course here with longer gradual climbs and some rolling transitions. That, coupled with some cold hard tracks, and I think it provides a great opportunity for great race results.”

    This week marks roughly two months on the road for most of the U.S. Biathlon team. A long stretch by any means but made significantly longer due to all the necessary COVID precautions and safety measures put in place by the IBU around the World Cup competitions.

    “Bubble life has been going really well,” said Deedra Irwin. “The IBU has done an amazing job containing active cases. Our team guidelines have been very effective against COVID. Also, no one on the team has gotten any major ‘normal’ sicknesses either.”

    Most of the team’s feelings around the restrictive protocols can best be summed up by Brown, who says, “I like racing, so the more I race the more sane I feel.”

    The Antholz World Cup offers the final tune-up before the IBU World Championships begin in Pokljuka, Slovenia, on Feb. 10, and coaches and athletes alike are keen on fine-tuning their efforts this weekend in Italy.

    “My advice going forward, as always, is to be proud of and continue doing the things that are good, target and improve the things that can be better,” said Shooting Coach Matt Emmons. “Champions pick themselves up and commit to improving.”

    “I think the men’s team has been building some momentum in the relay and I would love to see us have a great performance here,” added Schommer.

    Following this week’s racing in Antholz, the team will enjoy some well-deserved rest days before beginning the world championships pre-camp in Antholz. The team will head directly to the world championships in Pokljuka on Feb. 7.

    The BMW IBU World Cup events in Antholz run Jan. 21-24, with the following schedule (all times Eastern):

    Thursday, Jan. 21
    8:15 am – Women’s 15km individual

    Friday, Jan. 22
    7:15 am – Men’s 20km individual

    Saturday, Jan. 23
    7:10 am – Women’s 12.5km mass start
    9:05 am – Men’s 4×7.5km relay

    Sunday, Jan. 24
    6:45 am – Women’s 4x6km relay
    9:05 am – Men’s 15km mass start

    All events will be streamed live on Peacock with some events on the Olympic Channel and NBCSN. Find full schedule HERE.

  • IBU World Cup: Ruhpolding, Germany Rundown

    IBU World Cup: Ruhpolding, Germany Rundown

    The winner of the women’s 10 k pursuit, Norway’s Tiril Eckhoff, amidst a sea of Ruhpolding, Germany fandom. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Let’s catch up on some overdue biathlon action from Ruhpolding, Germany. 

    Day 2: Men’s 10 k sprint

    Starting off, the men’s 10 k sprint that ran last Thursday. Allez! Allez! It was a squeaker of a win for IBU World Cup overall leader Martin Fourcade of France. He won in a time of 22:41.5 minutes while shooting clean. His teammate, Quentin Fillon Maillet clocked in 3.1 seconds back for second while missing no targets. Germany’s Benedikt Doll placed third (+12.0; 0+0). 

    Sean Doherty of the U.S. continued his rise in this second trimester of the World Cup notching 21st in the sprint, 1:02.8 back and shooting 1+0. For Doherty, this matched his season best result, a 21st in Oberhof’s sprint. 

    18.01.2020, Ruhpolding, Germany (GER):<br /> Sean Doherty (USA) - IBU world cup biathlon, relay men, Ruhpolding (GER). www.nordicfocus.com. ©Tumashov/NordicFocus. Every downloaded picture is fee-liable.
    U.S. biathlete Sean Doherty during the men’s relay in Ruhpolding, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Also for the U.S., Jake Brown skied to 58th (+2:02.2; 2+0), and Leif Nordgren was a spot back in 59th (+2:03.8;2+1). Paul Schommer was 65th (+2:09.2; 0+2). 

    Jules Burnotte was the top-placed Canadian in 47th (+1:43.6; 0+2). Christian Gow was 51st (1:48.7; 1+0), Scott Gow 60th (+2:04.9), and Aidan Millar 100th (+3:16.4; 1+2). 

    The top-60 skiers advanced to the weekend’s pursuit.   

    10 k sprint results 

    Day 3: Women’s 4 x 6 k relay

    Here’s one thing we love about IBU World Cup relays: so many nations participating. Twenty-three different countries were represented in the women’s event. Korea was lapped, and was listed as 23rd, but at least they are in the game. 

    In first place, a more consistent powerhouse, was Norway in 1:08:46.4, followed by France (+10.7), and Switzerland (+20.7) in second and third, respectively. This was Norway’s fourth relay win in a row. 

    Norway’s winning relay team: Karoline Offigstad Knotten (NOR), Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold (NOR), Tiril Eckhoff (NOR), Marte Olsbu Roeiseland (NOR) (r-l). (Photo: NordicFocus)

    For the U.S., Susan Dunklee, Clare Egan, Joanne Reid, and Deedra Irwin raced to 10th overall, 2:32.9 behind Norway’s winning time. The U.S. had a single penalty while using nine spares in the competition. 

    Susan Dunklee (bib 9) of the U.S. during the women’s relay in Ruhpolding, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus).

     

    Joanne Reid coming in to tag Deedra Irwin for the U.S. (Photo: NordicFocus)

     

    Joanne Reid during the women’s relay in Ruhpolding. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Canada’s Nadia Moser, Emma Lunder, Megan Bankes, and Sarah Beaudry were 20th (+5:30.8; 1+11).  

    Canada’s Meghan Bankes during the women’s relay in Ruhpolding, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    4 x 6 k relay results 

    Day 4: Men’s 4 x 7.5 relay

    When it’s going your way, just go with it. It has been going France’s way. The French won the men’s relay in 1:18.11.2 followed by Norway in second (1:12.2), and Austria in third (+1:24.3). 

     

    Quentin Fillon Maillet of France carries the French flag across the line for the relay win in Ruhpolding, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Leif Nordgren, Sean Doherty, Paul Schommer, and Jake Brown scored tenth overall for the U.S., finishing 4:09.8 back using nine spares. 

    Canada’s Jules Burnotte, Scott Gow, Aidan Millar, and Christian Gow placed 19th (+6:27.6; 1+14). Twenty-six teams were represented. 

    4 x 7.5 k results 

    Day 5: Women’s 10 k pursuit

    In this 60 athlete field, Norway’s Tiril Eckhoff ran away with the win in 34:08.7 while missing a single target in her four shooting bouts. Slovakia’s Pauline Fialkova was second (+46.3;1+0+0+1), and Hannah Öberg of Sweden third (+55.1; 0+1+0+1). 

    Susan Dunklee during the women’s relay in Ruhpolding. She placed 10th in the weekend’s pursuit event for a season best result. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Dunklee notched a season best result with her 10th place. The U.S. biathlete finished 1:39.7 behind while shooting 0+1+2+0. Her teammate Egan was six spots behind in 16th overall (+2:01.8; 0+0+1+1). This was Egan’s best individual result thus far in the 2019-2020 season. 

    Off to the tracks: Clare Egan (bib 28) during the women’s pursuit in Ruhpolding. She placed 16th overall. Susan Dunklee, her teammate, is pictured in bib 25. (Photo: NordicFocus)

     

    Susan Dunklee (bib 25) and Clare Egan (bib 28) after the women’s pursuit in Ruhpolding. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Canada’s Lunder placed 35th (+3:05.0; 0+2+0+1). 

    10 k pursuit results

    Day 6: Men’s 12.5 k pursuit

    Again, there was no stopping the French. Fourcade took the win in 31:26.8 while shooting clean, with Fillon Maillet in second (+17.6; 0+0+1+0). Norway’s Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen placed third (+46.0; 0+0+0+1). 

    Martin Fourcade (FRA) leads Quentin Fillon Maillet (FRA) during the men’s pursuit in Ruhpolding. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Doherty was the top American in 32nd (+2:58.7; 3+0+1+0). Nordgren placed 55th (+5:30.1; 2+2+0+0), and Brown 56th (+5:49.9; 2+2+1+2). 

    For Canada, Burnotte skied to 47th (+4:07.4; 1+1+2+1), Christian Gow 49th (+4:22.1; 1+1+1+1), and Scott Gow 50th (+4:37.8; 0+1+1+1). 

    12.5 k pursuit results

    Sean Doherty (USA, bib 21), Arnd Peiffer (GER, bib 22), Raman Yaliotnau (BLR, bib 23): starting the pursuit in Ruhpolding, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)
  • Day 2 Rundown: Annecy-Le Grand Bornand IBU World Cup

    Day 2 Rundown: Annecy-Le Grand Bornand IBU World Cup

    Tiril Eckhoff of Norway continued her IBU World Cup winning ways on Friday. She won the Annecy-Le Grand Bornand 7.5-kilometer sprint in 20:27.0 with a single penalty during her two shooting rounds. Including two relays, this is Eckhoff’s fourth victory of the season. Justine Braisaz of France was second (+6.2; 0+0), and the Czech Republic’s Svetlana Mironova placed third (+22.5; 0+0). 

    The top-60 skiers qualified for Saturday’s 10 k pursuit.

    For Canada, Emma Lunders placed 36th (+1:44.4;2+1), Sarah Beaudry 48th (+2:00.9; 0+1), and Megan Bankes 71st (+2:32.9; 1+2). Nadia Moser did not start. 

    Clare Egan led the U.S. women in 42nd (+1:50.1;0+2), followed by Joanne Reid in 52nd (+2:04.5; 0+1). Susan Dunklee finished 67th (+2:28.8; 0+3), and Emily Dreissigacker 94th (+4:37.1; 2+2). 

    Emma Lunder (CAN) during the Annecy-Le Grand Bornand, France IBU World Cup sprint. (Photo: Nordic Focus)

    Results

    An IBU Cup Podium for Schommer

    The stepping stone for many biathletes remains the lower tier IBU Cup. Today in Obertilliach, Austria the men contested a 10 k sprint. It was Paul Schommer’s time for a breakthrough. The U.S. biathlete placeded second overall after shooting clean. He was 19.5 seconds behind Norway’s Aleksander Fjeld Andersen who also had no misses, finishing in a time of 25:45.8.

    Results

  • IBU World Cup Relay Rundown from Östersund, Sweden

    IBU World Cup Relay Rundown from Östersund, Sweden

    Johannes Thingnes Bø of Norway and Martin Fourcade of France on the range during the IBU World Cup 4 x 7.5 k relay in Östersund, Sweden. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Over the weekend in Östersund, Sweden the IBU World Cup held its traditional 4 x 7 .5-kilometer for the men, and 4 x 5 k relays for the women. 

    Saturday, Norway’s team of Johannes Dale, Erlend Øvereng Bjøntegaard, Tarjei Bø, and Johannes Thingnes Bø won the men’s race in 1:10:30.4 hours. In total, the team used nine spares with no penalty laps. 

    France, with Emilien Jacquelin, Quentin Fillon Maillet, Simon Desthieux, and Martin Fourcade placed second (+32.3; 1+7).

    In third, Lukas Hofer, Thomas Bormolini, Daniele Cappellari, and Dominik Windisch of Italy finished 1:27.1 minutes back with no penalties and using eight spares.

    Scott Gow during the IBU World Cup 4 x 7.5 k relay in Östersund, Sweden. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Canada’s Jules Burnotte, Scott Gow, Aidan Miller, and Christian Gow raced to 11th overall (+3:51.5) with two penalties while using 11 spares. The U.S. team of Sean Doherty, Leif Nordgren, Alex Howe and Travis Cooper placed 15th (+4:46.7; 0+13) in a 26 team field.

    Leif Nordgren during the IBU World Cup 4 x 7.5 k relay in Östersund, Sweden. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Men’s Results

    Women’s 4 x 5 k Relay

    For the women, Norway also secured the top spot. Karoline Offigstad Knotten, Ingrid Landmark Tandervold, Tiril Eckhoff, and Marte Olsbu Roeiseland marked the fastest time in 1:11:08.7 with no penalties and using 10 spares.  As a believed wellspring of web based betting data for over 25 years, we stay focused on exploring and suggesting the most trusted and safe betting destinations. The accompanying internet casinos at http://www.bestcasinosincanada.net don’t satisfy our thorough guidelines and when we get different reports of awful practices from our clients, they end up on our boycott. Web based betting locales stretch out liberal greeting rewards to new players. Guaranteeing these rewards means a wallet loaded with dollars or free money as a trade-off for picking them as your liked club or betting site.

    Switzerland’s foursome posted a career-best as a women’s relay team with a second place. Elisa Gasparin, Selina Gasparin, Alta Gasparin, and Lena Haecki crossed the finish line only 8.5 seconds behind Norway. As a team, they had no penalties while using four spares total. (The three Gasparins are sisters.)

    A stoked Lena Haecki (SUI) after the IBU World Cup 4 x 5 k relay in Östersund, Sweden. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Sweden’s Lina Persson, Elvira Öberg , Mona Brorsson, and Hannah Öberg were third (+10.2; 0+8). 

    For the U.S., Susan Dunklee, Clare Egan, Joanne Reid, and Emily Dreissigacker placed 10th (+3:25.0; 0+8). Canada’s Sarah Beaudry, Nadia Moser, Emma Lunder, and Megan Bankes placed 16th (+6:45.5; 2+15). 

    Twenty-one teams from twenty-one countries raced the women’s event. 

    Women’s Results

  • U.S. Biathlon Announces Nominations for Opening World Cup and IBU Cup Rosters (Press Release)

    U.S. Biathlon Announces Nominations for Opening World Cup and IBU Cup Rosters (Press Release)

    Press Release by Bill Kellick/USBA:

    Paul Schommer was named to the IBU Cup roster for the start of the 2019-20 season Photo: Rachelle Weymuller)

    (Oct. 28, 2019) — Following the completion of the U.S. Biathlon Fall Festival and IBU Cup Trials held over the weekend in Soldier Hollow, Utah, 15 athletes have been nominated to the U.S. Biathlon teams competing at the opening events of the 2019-20 season.

    “We had an impressively competitive trials this season, with several lead changes throughout the competitions,” said U.S. Biathlon Director of High Performance Lowell Bailey. “I feel really good about the teams we are sending and their ability to compete with the world’s best on the international stage.”

    Six members of the 2018 U.S. Olympic Team have been selected to compete at the first three International Biathlon Union World Cup events on this year’s calendar, including women’s Olympic Team members Clare Egan (Cape Elizabeth, Maine), Susan Dunklee (Barton, Vt.), Joanne Reid (Grand Junction, Colo.) and Emily Dreissigacker (Morrisville, Vt.). Named to the men’s World Cup team are 2018 Olympians Sean Doherty (Center Conway, N.H.) and Leif Nordgren (Hinesburg, Vt.), along with Travis Cooper (Kenai, Alaska) and Alex Howe (Gilford, N.H.).

    The IBU kicks off its 2019-20 World Cup season in Oestersund, Sweden, Nov. 30-Dec. 8. That will be followed by World Cups in Hochfilzen, Austria, Dec. 13-15, and Le Grand Bornand, France, Dec. 19-22.

    Named to the U.S. squads competing at the IBU Cup competitions in Ridnaun-Val Ridanna, Italy, Dec. 12-15, and in Obertilliach, Austria, Dec. 18-21, are Kelsey Dickinson (Winthrop, Wash.), Hallie Grossman (South Burlington, Vt.) and Maddie Phaneuf (Old Forge, N.Y.) on the women’s side, and Lars Hammernes Leopold (Truckee, Calif.), Max Durtschi (Ketchum, Idaho), Paul Schommer (Appleton, Wis.) and Jake Brown (St. Paul, Minn.) on the men’s side.

    “It’s an exciting time for U.S. Biathlon, with several new names in the mix on our international teams. It will be fun to watch,” Bailey added.

  • Day Three: U.S. Biathlon Fall Team Trials

    Day Three: U.S. Biathlon Fall Team Trials

    The third and final day of the Soldier Hollow U.S. Biathlon Fall Team Trials was postponed temporarily due to snowfall. An occurrence that normally would not quell the skis, but can make skate rollerskis squirrely. 

    After a delay, and with the course sufficiently dry, the men and women raced a 10-kilometer and 7.5 k sprint, respectively. 

    Susan Dunklee (USBA) won the women’s race in a time of 24:16.53 while missing a single target standing. Joanne Reid (USBA) took second in 24:32.06 minutes and shot clean. Emily Dreissigacker (USBA/Craftsbury GRP) raced to third in 25:21.90 (0,1). 

    Jake Brown (Craftsbury GRP) missed one target in prone and won the men’s race in 27:45.27. Alex Howe (USBA) took second place in a time of 27:59.58 (0,1). Paul Schommer (USBA) was third stopping the clock in 28:00.85 (3,0). 

    The day’s racing concluded the trial period to determine the group of athletes representing U.S. Biathlon during Period 1 on the IBU World Cup and Period 2 and 3 on the IBU Cup. 

    FasterSkier will publish a piece early this week with the full rundown of those athletes earning early season international starts.  

    Five athletes already locked up IBU World Cup starts with top-25 results on the World Cup or World Championships last season. They include Joanne Reid, Clare Egan, Susan Dunklee, Sean Doherty, and Leif Nordgren.

    Day Three Fall Team Trial Results

  • Day Two: U.S. Biathlon Fall Team Trials

    Day Two: U.S. Biathlon Fall Team Trials

    On Saturday, the second day of racing at the U.S. Biathlon Fall Team Trials saw biathletes race mass start distance races outside Midway, Utah at Soldier Hollow (SoHo).

    Clare Egan (USBA) won the women’s 10-kilometer event in 29:55.81 minutes. Egan, coming off a career best year on the IBU World Cup, shot clean while prone and missed two targets standing. Susan Dunklee (USBA), the winner of Thursday’s sprint race, placed second in 30:41.10 (1, 1, 3, 1). Joanne Reid raced to third in 30:41.10 (2,1,1,0). It was Reid’s second podium of the week at the Fall Trials.

    The men raced 13.5 k on Saturday. Travis Cooper (USBA/National Guard Biathlon) backed up his win on Thursday with another victory in the mass start event. Cooper won in a time of 34:59.80 and missed a single target in his second standing bout. Paul Schommer (USBA) placed second in 35:06.28 (0,0,1,2). Third place went to Lars Hammernes Leopold (JNT). He crossed the line 0.41 seconds after Schommer and missed a single target in each of his standing stages. This was Leopold’s second podium of the trials at SoHo.

    The Fall Trials conclude Sunday with a sprint race. The three-race SoHo series, along with results from the rollerski trials this summer in Vermont, are used to fill remaining start opportunities for Period 1 on the World Cup and Periods 2 and 3 on the IBU Cup.

    Day Two Race Results

  • Day One of Racing at the U.S. Biathlon Fall Team Trials

    On Thursday, a three race series to help determine international race starts for U.S. biathletes began with a sprint at Soldier Hollow (SoHo) outside Midway, Utah.

    For the IBU World Cup, five U.S. athletes have pre-qualified with a top-25 result on the World Cup or World Championships last season.  Pre-qualified athletes include Joanne Reid, Clare Egan, Susan Dunklee, Sean Doherty, and Leif Nordgren.

    According to the USBA selection criteria, the remaining World Cup Period 1 spots and IBU Cup Period 2 and 3 spots are determined through a series of rollerski races held over the summer in Jericho, Vermont and the current series at SoHo.

    Yesterday, the women raced a 7.5-kilometer sprint, the men 10 k.

    Susan Dunklee (USBA/CGRP) won the women’s race in 22:31.59 minutes after missing a single shot while shooting prone. Joanne Reid (USBA) was second in 23:31.08 (1,0). Hallie Grossman (USBA/CGRP) placed fourth but was the third American in 24:14.29 (1,1).

    Travis Cooper (USBA/National Guard Biathlon) scored the win in the men’s 10 k sprint with a time of 26:13.45 while shooting clean. Lars Hammernes Leopold (U.S. JNT) placed second in 26:21.58 with no misses on the range. Sean Doherty (USBA/National Guard Biathlon) was third in 26:29.50 (1,1).

    Racing will continue on Saturday with 10 k/13.5 k mass start race.

    Full Race Results

  • 2019 Coach of the Year

    2019 Coach of the Year

    With the 2018/2019 season officially in the rearview, FasterSkier is running a series of articles highlighting some of the players and performances from the season. This honor goes to the North American coach who most deserves recognition for their impact on the trajectory of their athletes.

    The newest additions to US Biathlon’s coaching and sport-development staff (from left to right): Michael Greis, Tim Burke, Armin Auchentaller, and Danika Frisbie as seen on May 1 outside the Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, N.Y. (Photo: US Biathlon)

    In April of 2018, Armin Auchentaller was hired to lead the U.S. Women’s Biathlon team. The position was not totally new for Auchentaller as he had worked with the U.S. team from ‘09 through the 2014 Olympics in Sochi as a shooting coach. In the interim, Auchentaller worked with the Swiss Biathlon Team. Prior to becoming a coach, Auchentaller competed in biathlon in his home country of Italy.

    Auchentaller described his style as being hands-on and direct.

    “I just cannot stay there in a corner and look at some things where I see ‘this can be better’, I just jump in and tell them,” Auchentaller stated in an interview during a training camp in Lake Placid last August. “And if they are alone [without a coach] here, then it’s obvious that I help them. I am a coach.”

    The effect Auchentaller’s approach had on the team was rapidly apparent as the season held career best finishes and a multitude of top-10 finishes for his athletes. Perhaps the most noteworthy improvements were seen in Clare Egan, who placed in the top-10 three times including her third place podium finish at the IBU World Cup Finals in Oslo, and Joanne Reid who had a single top-10.

    While his methods have certainly impacted these newer athletes, his impact was also felt by more veteran athletes, like Susan Dunklee who has been competing on the IBU World Cup since 2011. At 34th in the overall standings, Dunklee was the second-highest ranked American behind Egan who was 18th. Dunklee scored two World Cup top-10s, both in Oberhof, Germany. She ended her season with a clean sweep of the USBA National Championships.

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    Stoked Biathletes after a record setting day. From left to right, Susan Dunklee, women’s coach Armin Auchentaller, and Clare Egan. (Photo: @usbiathlonwomen screenshot)

    “I feel incredibly grateful to work with him,” wrote Dunklee in an email. “Working with Armin far surpassed my expectations. He’s a people person who connects well with all different personality types. He’s inclusive and he’s a collaborator. This summer we overlapped with the USST ladies for a camp in Lake Placid. Armin and Matt Whitcomb were soon going to the bar and waterskiing together and suddenly the biathlon women found ourselves training alongside Sophie, Jessie and company during interval sessions.  Of course, this makes so much sense, yet in the past, it rarely happened. Armin understood the value of it and he made it happen.”

    Auchentaller crafted a training regime that was designed to garner steady improvements in his team. He also sought to create opportunities for the athletes to work and grow together as a team in training.

    The podium from Friday’s USBA National Championship 7.5 k sprint (l-r): Clare Egan in second, Susan Dunklee in first, and Kelsey Dickinson in third. (Photo: John Lazenby/lazenbyphoto.com)

    “They are all different characters, but they have built in this short time a good group atmosphere, they seem to be a good team now and they go along really well, they help each other, and that is a good start point to get better also in the team itself,” Auchentaller said during the Lake Placid camp.

    While the workload was challenging for the athletes, Auchentaller was mindful of how the women tolerated the training both physically and emotionally to ensure an optimal outcome.

    “Armin pushes us hard and has high expectations,” explained Dunklee. “I’ve never had a coach who made me dryfire for an hour after dinner every night during a high volume camp and that was tough. However, he is also smart enough to see when we are near our breaking point and flexible enough to make individual adaptations when needed. He’s a good listener, asks for our input and trusts our judgment, which is absolutely crucial for experienced athletes. He has a wealth of technical knowledge about shooting and ski technique, but he would also step back sometimes and ask us to observe and coach each other. I think those exercises made us into a stronger team. We learned to rely on each other, trust each other, and build each other up.”

    After a successful 2018/2019 season, Auchentaller will certainly have the momentum to build from as he continues to guide and train his athletes in their preparation this summer. We look forward to seeing his effect on their continued progress and the upward trajectory of U.S. Biathlon in the years to come as the foundation for success is strong. Three different women this year placed in the top-15 on the IBU Cup, the tier of international racing just below the World Cup. Additionally, from a team perspective, the women’s 4 x 5 k relay at this year’s IBU World Championships remained in second place for much of the race. It also marked the first time three different U.S. women placed in the top-10 at the World Cup level during a single season.  

     

  • Lowell Bailey and the High Performance Vision

    Lowell Bailey and the High Performance Vision

    Lowell Bailey (US Biathlon) leading France’s Martin Fourcade in the men’s 12.5 k pursuit at the 2017 IBU World Cup in PyeongChang, South Korea. Fourcade went on to win after starting third, and Bailey placed ninth after starting second. (Photo: USBA/NordicFocus)

    For years under the leadership of Bernd Eisenbichler and Per Nilsson, US Biathlon was a polyglot enterprise. It’s often claimed the high performance staff at USBA had a decidedly United Nations vibe. As a sport firmly entrenched in Europe, siphoning some of that expertise into the U.S. program paid dividends over the past two decades.

    IBU World Cup podiums and World Championship medals were the payback. Lowell Bailey, at thirty-seven years old, is a hybrid product of an American development system infused with that European biathlon know-how. He was recently announced as US Biathlon’s newest high performance director after Eisenbichler resigned effective March 31.

    Bailey honed his cross-country skiing and biathlon as he grew up in Lake Placid, New York. Along with Tim Burke, the new USBA director for athlete development, the two forged a successful path as juniors and then as elite-level World Cup biathletes. Both won World Championship medals: silver for Burke in 2013, gold for Bailey in 2017.

    “I spent two decades working as an athlete on the US Biathlon team and the last 12-ish years on the World Cup so I feel like I have a good feeling for what the top of the pyramid looks like,” Bailey said during an interview on March, 2. “But I have gotten a lot of perspective on that question of ‘how does a kid get involved in biathlon in our country?’”

    With USBA’s unfulfilled goal of winning a first Olympic medal, Bailey’s race and recent administrative experience could create the lab in which the goal is realized. Although never having led an organization with tentacles as long as USBA’s, which span a massive continent when it comes to development, Bailey’s perspective on how to engage younger athletes in biathlon has been broadened in Bozeman, Montana.

    “Roughly three years ago I started working with Crosscut Mountain Sports Center as a consultant helping to raise awareness of their nascent endeavor — last year I took over as executive director,” Bailey said.

    During his work with Crosscut both as a consultant and the ED, Bailey was tasked with leading the visioning process for a Bozeman venue with world class facilities, IPC, IBU, and FIS homologated courses, and a paved roller ski loop. Bailey’s tenure with Crosscut overlapped with two active years as an IBU athlete and a third, after he retired in 2018, when he resided in Bozeman and immersed himself in grassroots organizing.

    “I think the experience he had working in Bozeman gave him real insight into the real challenges that regional programs face as they try to add biathlon to their offerings,” Max Cobb, CEO and President of USBA said of the skill sets Bailey brings to the organization. “I think we will see him come at that in a really practical and helpful way. I think that will result in a lot more growth of the sport all around the country.”

    Bozeman provided Bailey with a lens into how to build from the ground up. The community remains rooted in mountain culture and an outdoor lifestyle. Young children have opportunities to cross-country ski and develop biathlon skills with the Bridger Ski Foundation. Montana State University offers the potential for aspiring national level biathletes to train and concurrently pursue academics. Crosscut, if it moves forward with breaking ground on its winter sports facility, could become the model USBA and locals envision to build potential elite biathletes.

    The flower ceremony for the 2018 IBU World Cup women’s sprint in Oslo, Norway, which American Susan Dunklee appeared in after placing fourth. (Photo: IBU/Biathlonworld)

    The “what ifs” Bailey pondered in Bozeman also reinforced his deep understanding of the hurdles biathlon faces in a massive geographic swath like the U.S. Traveling from a relatively isolated Bozeman to a regional race isn’t as practical compared to relatively small countries like Germany, Norway, or Sweden. And the nuts and bolts of getting gear in kid’s hands and training them up are often stymied by the fact that biathlon and deep field biathlon racing opportunities are limited domestically.

    “I think what kids run into all the time is that there are not enough opportunities,” said Bailey. “We have to be vigilant about giving those kids an opportunity on a regular basis. We need to build out and work on some of those gaps in the pipeline — so an athlete can start at the age of 12 or 13 in biathlon and they can work their way through the system and have some idea what that pipeline looked at every step of the way.”

    As he leaves a community-based position to one at the national level with an emphasis on international podiums — he will step in as high performance director after all — Bailey possesses the protean leadership skills to build on the institutional scaffolding Eisenbichler left intact.

    Bailey will be helped by Burke and Danika Frisbie who were hired last year to assist USBA with athlete development. Burke takes on the new title of director of athlete development while Frisbie continues in her role as sport program manager.

    “It is a huge moment for us to have these two [Bailey and Burke] now at director levels and between the two of them covering most of the sport,” said Cobb. “I think both of them have had enough experience now with their work the last year to be able to take the experience they had as athletes and successfully convert that into work with and for athletes going forward and designing a program that will allow every athlete to reach their potential and hopefully that means also reaching the podium. It is a very exciting time.”

    Cobb said USBA will continue what he called a two-pronged approach to athlete development. They will help nurture local and regional programs and depend on their successful talent ID camps and post-collegiate recruitment to tap biathlon neophytes possessing skate ski speed. Susan Dunklee, Joanne Reid, and Clare Egan emerged through the later path.

    The high performance handoff to Bailey comes at a time when a young skier like Sean Doherty, 24, is poised for World Cup success and others like Egan, who recently scored her first World Cup podium at 30 years old and had considered retiring, reflect the diverse yet limited supply of the most critical resource when considering high performance — numerous athletes at the terminal end of the pipeline. Software development Ukraine with Echo.

    “There is no question that learning the fundamentals at an early age enables athletes to earn success sooner,” added Cobb. “Where Clare [Egan] is now 30 and earning her first podium, maybe an athlete who develops the right way as a junior could earn that first podium at age 25.”

    What this all means is the U.S. must build depth in its athlete ranks. Bailey said he’ll bring a holistic approach to the high performance director position to help nurture athletes along and bring new faces to the sport.

    “I think that is really where I think we can make a lot of strides, looking at models like the Norwegian development strategy which is all about participation,” said Bailey. “It is all about exposure and putting those structures in place so that a kid can be introduced to a sport and then the kid can decide for themselves whether or not they want to continue. And that I think is when you hit the sweet spot of Olympic success. If we are all talking about winning this first ever Olympic medal for US Biathlon. I think if you really step far enough backward in the development process, any model that sort of pushes a kid without by in from the actual athlete is inevitably going to fail.”

  • IBU World Cup Rundown from Oslo: Canada’s Lunder 9th, Egan 12th for the U.S.

    IBU World Cup Rundown from Oslo: Canada’s Lunder 9th, Egan 12th for the U.S.

    Sunny skies at the 2019 IBU World Cup women’s 7.5 k sprint in Oslo, Norway. (Photo: biathlonworld.com screenshot)

    The IBU World Cup resides in Oslo this week. The women began the racing with the 7.5-kilometer sprint on Thursday.

    The podium rundown goes like this: Slovakia’s Kuzmina Anastasiya shot 1+0 to win in 19:56.2, Germany’s Franziska Preuss placed second (+21.2, 0+0), with Paulina Fialkova of Slovakia in third (+25.1, 0+0).

    This was Kuzmina’s fifth win at Holmenkollen and secured her the IBU sprint overall title.

    Canada’s Emma Lunder was the top North American in ninth place. Lunder clean both shooting bouts and was 49.0 seconds behind the winning time. This was a career best individual result for Lunder on the IBU World Cup.

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    Lunder’s teammates Megan Bankes placed 54th (+2:06.9, 1+1), Sarah Beaudry 97th (+3:51.5, 3+2)

    Clare Egan for US Biathlon skied to 12th (+54.6, 0+1). Susan Dunklee placed 30th (+1:30.8, 1+1), and Joanne Reid 47th (+1:57.7, 0+2).

    Results

  • Rise and Shine for Joanne Reid in Östersund, Sweden

    Rise and Shine for Joanne Reid in Östersund, Sweden

    Joanne Reid of the U.S. skiing to 15th overall in the 7.5 k sprint at the 2019 IBU World Championships. (Photo: ARD screenshot)

    A World Championship. A career-best result.

    For Joanne Reid of the US Biathlon team in Östersund, Sweden, the recently concluded IBU World Championships were a highlight. It was a fine series of races for the twenty-six year old last week — it was a great moment for her to rise and shine.

    Out of 93 starters, she placed 15th in the 7.5 k sprint. She followed that result several days later with a 10th overall in the 12.5 k mass start.

    Sandwiched inbetween was a stellar performance for the US women in the 4 x 6 k relay. For much of the race, the US team was well positioned for a medal. The combo of fast skiing and accurate shooting meshed. The team faded to place ninth overall – yet the positive energy from the collective effort did not immediately fade. The relay came the day prior to Reid’s mass start race.

    “I was on such a raging high from the day before where our relay team was in the lead for most of the race and every single one of us competed in a podium position through at least one shooting,” Reid said during a call on March 18. “That carried on into my mass start. No matter what happened, I was going to have a personal best because I had never done one before and no matter what happened I was going to get a top-30.”

    It was Reid’s first mass start at this level of IBU competition. She shot 1+1+1+1 during her four shooting bouts and skied fast enough to mark those faster skiers around her and not lose ground. Reid explained that during her third shooting bout, a big wind passed through which only impacted her first few shots, and she was able to capitalize.

    “That is where I ended up passing a whole bunch of people,” reflected Reid. “I was just trying to focus on sticking with the person I was with, and not letting them go. Working on the little pieces of the course that my coach had told me to work on — the transitions, downhills, these V2 sections. So when I came into the range and shot I was really thinking more about that and I wasn’t really thinking what place I was in. I had no real idea what the heck was going on, and I certainly had no idea what the heck was going on after I left.”

    As the race evolved, Reid heard her teammate Susan Dunklee, who had not qualified for the mass start, out on course providing critical race status data.

    “The person for me that was the most coherent was Susan [Dunklee],” Reid recalled when asked how she received information that she was in the hunt for a top-10. “She was out on course on one of the uphills. And I understood her the most clearly. She pointed at a Swedish girl and said, ‘that is ninth place, go get her now.’ So I did.”

    That was the rabbit to chase. It was a well-defined marker for pace setting and goal achieving. It helped cement her 10th place.

    These World Championships brought celebration worthy results for Reid. Yet the disparity between expectations and results, when they do not align, can be debilitating. Reid asserts she weathers the ups and downs of biathlon by relying on her own internal mechanisms and teammates to process disappointment. The lows and highs become what they are: simply a result in a ski race.

    “I actually don’t work with our sport psychologist really, although he is pretty awesome, but I have not worked with him extensively,” Reid said. “I think, for the most part, I tend to talk to my teammates and just see what they did because it is very unusual that every single one of us has an awful race on the same day. There are enough variables and enough people out there that that doesn’t usually happen. I can take from that that something good happened on that day and I don’t get too lost in my head about that sort of thing. I am pretty introverted so I don’t tend to interact with other people necessarily to make myself feel better. I kind of just internalize it for a while and forgive myself for sucking and them move on with it.”

    The massive upside of moving on in a fickle sport provides the opportunity for another new chance. Reid noted how she perceives her ability to keep steady — to remain present in the game and the training and not allow a past performance to dictate the path forward.

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    In Östersund, Reid raced to 32nd in the 10 k pursuit after her 15th in the sprint. (Time back on the pursuit is determined by the sprint results.) She skied six penalty laps in the pursuit, going 3+2+1+0 for her shooting.  

    “One of the nice things about missing eight or nine shots, just having the worst shooting day out there, is understanding very clearly how it could have gone better and how to fix that for your next race,” Reid said of how she moves past an unsolid day on the range. “Whereas if you don’t miss any targets and you still aren’t performing well, that is actually more frustrating because you feel like you cannot push through that wall and you certainly cannot push through that wall by tomorrow. But in biathlon, if it is your shooting side that is failing, you can look at that and be like, ‘alright well, that was seven minutes of penalties today in the individual, but tomorrow is the sprint race and I can go out there and I can clean it. It can be totally freaking different.”

    Reid has the engine. She has the temperament to make it “totally freaking different” during a different day on the range. That held true as she stormed towards Linn Persson, the Swede Dunklee matter of factly referred to when she told Reid ‘that is ninth place, go get her now.’”

     

  • Sunday Rundown: Starting with Oslo and Östersund (Updated)

    Sunday Rundown: Starting with Oslo and Östersund (Updated)

    Norway’s Therese Johaug with the Holmenkollen 30 k classic win and no challengers in site. (Photo: ARD screenshot)

    FIS World Cup Oslo, Norway Holmenkollen 30 k Classic

    Beautiful sunshine. Norwegian crowds. And fine views of Oslo fjord from atop the Holmenkollen venue for the women’s 30-kilometer mass start classic. All things typical on a good weather March day in Oslo.

    Norway’s Therese Johuag took this fine day and turned the screws on the 47 starters on Sunday to once again ski away from the field. By the second points bonus at 8k, Johaug was already 23.6 seconds up on the field. She won the race in 1:18:54.5 hours. According to the International Ski Federation (FIS), this was Johaug’s third 30 k win at Holmenkollen and her second classical victory. She won the 30 k skate in 2013. Her first Oslo 30 k classic win came in 2016.

    Russia’s Natalia Nepryaeva placed second 1:45.9 minutes back. Ebba Andersson of Sweden skied to third (+149.9).

    Rosie Brennan (APU) was the top U.S. skier in 33rd (+ 7:57.0). Rosie Frankowski (APU) placed 34th (+9:40.2), and Kaitlynn Miller (CGRP) 42nd (+13:43.7).

    Jessica Yeaton (APU/Australian National Team) raced to 30th (+7:29.4).

    No Canadians were entered.

    Results

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    IBU World Championships Östersund, Sweden 10 k/12.5k Pursuit

    On Saturday’s 10 k pursuit at the IBU World Champs in Östersund, Sweden the German women took first and third. Denise Herrmann won in 31:45.9 minutes with two penalties in her third shooting stage. Tiril Eckhoff of Norway placed second, 31.4 seconds back while also skiing two penalties in her third shooting stage. Germany’s Laura Dahlmeier was a close third (0+0+1+0, +31.6).

    Clare Egan  of the U.S. was 12th (2+0+0+3, +2:44.3), Susan Dunklee raced to 24th (2+0+0+1, +3:27.6), and Joanne Reid 32nd (3+2+1+0, +4:24.2).

    For Canada, Sarah Beaudry finished 42nd (2+1+1+0, +5:23.5), while Rosanna Crawford, Emma Lunder, and Megan Bankes were lapped.

    Results

    In Östersund on Sunday, the men raced the 12.5 k pursuit. Ukraine’s Dmytro Pidruchnyi, who placed fourth in yesterday’s sprint, came away with the win in 31:54.1. Remarkably, it was Pidruchnyi’s first race win either on the IBU World Cup or at the championship level. The 27 year old missed two targets for the day. 

    Johannes Thingnes Bø of Norway, the biathlete who has dominated the men’s side this season, placed second (+8.3). Bø’s ski speed was such that he took silver despite missing five targets he won the Silver medal. Taking third (+17.7) was France’s Quentin Fillon Maillet. He missed three targets in earning bronze.

    For the U.S., Sean Doherty raced to 20th (+1:54.3) while missing two targets. Leif Nordgren placed 44th (0+0+3+1, +4:02.7), and Jake Brown 53rd (1+1+4+1, +6:00.8).

    Canada’s Scott Gow began in bib 50, and skied up to finish 43rd (2+0+0+2, +3:51.4).

    Results